Rotary disk plow.



G. H. MOKEE.

ROTARY DISK PLOW.

APPLICATION FILED mm. 10, 190B.

980, 1 l 8. Patented Dec. 27, 1910.

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THE NORRIS PETERS ca, WASHINGTON, u. c.

O. H. MoKI-JE.

ROTARY DISK PLOW. APPL IC ATION FILED FEB. 10, 1908.

Patented Dec. 27, 1910.

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an, WASHINGTON, n. r:

CHARLES H. MGKEE, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

ROTARY DISK PLOW.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 27, 1910.

Application filed February 10, 1908. Serial No. 415,092.

'l'o all whom/Lt may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. McKee, of Pittsburg, in the county ofAllegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in R0- tary Disk Plows, of which the following is aspecification.

Among the objects of my invention are; to provide a new and improvedrotary disk plow; a rotary disk plow having two or more disks placed insuccession, with each successive disk set behind and lower than the nextpreceding disk; and, a plow of this class having a plurality of disks soarranged and adapted, when the plow is in operation,

that each disk will act as a mold-board for its own furrow and move orcast the earth therefrom outside of the path of the following disks andso that the first disk turns the earth from its furrow into the bottomof the last preceding furrow and that each successive disk after thefirst one, turns the earth from its furrow on top of the earth plowed byits preceding disk.

As is well known, rotary disk plows are used in various ways forcultivating land, and an essential part of each of them is the one ormore disks used in its construction.

There are various kinds of rotary disk plows, and among those mostcommon in use are the ones which have disks set in succession to run ingangs on the same horizontal plane, and those having but one disk, whichsometimes, has mounted with it, a colter or other auxiliaries. In all ofthe plows of the kinds mentioned, the disks are used to cut furrowswhich, in depth, do not exceed the capacity of a single disk of the sizeused, and which furrows are, ordinarily, not more than eight inchesdeep.

The disks used in rotary disk plows are generally made of sheet steel,of about oneeighth of an inch in thickness, and are dished in thecenter, so that each is, approximately, in the form of a segment of ahollow sphere, and they vary in dimensions. A disk twenty-four inches indiameter, and dished about three and three quarters inches at itscenter, is regarded as a standard size in rotary disk plows, and isseldom exceeded. Disks of smaller sizes are used and are dished aboutproportionally, respect being had to their respective diameters. Theyare general beveled from the rim, about an inch and a quarter on theirouter, or convex sides, and the rim is brought to a thin edge. When usedfor plowing purposes, each disk is pivoted at its center and this isusually accomplished by its having attached on its back, or convex side,a short journal, which is set at rightangles with the plane of the face,or rim of the disk, and each journal is fitted in a hearing, attached toa plow frame, which is mounted upon wheels and has a chain, or othermeans for the attachment of draft animals, or other motive power.

In rotary disk plows, the disks are so placed that the horizontal axesof the planes of their faces, or rims, are diagonally across theirrespective furrows, with the edge of the disk, on the land side of eachfurrow, to the front and the opposite edge deflected to the rear, andwith each disk tilted backward at its top.

The exact positions of the disks when in use, respect being had to thevertical and horizontal axes of the planes of their faces, or rims, varyand depend respectively upon their sizes, how much they are dished andhow and to what extent, if any, they are beveled at their edges. Whendisks of the standard size and shape before mentioned are used, they areso placed that their horizontal axes are at an angle of about fortytwodegrees from the vertical plane of the land side of their furrows andtheir vertical axes are deflected back at the top about twenty degreesfrom the perpendicular. In use the lower part of each disk is immersedin the land to be plowed, with its concave side, or face, to the front,and as the plow is moved forward, the disk revolves, by reason of theresultant of the lines of resistance, which it encounters on its cuttingedge and face being always on one side of its axis, and in operation itacts as a revolving, self-sharpening gouge. In consequence of theposition in which the disks are placed, in rotary disk plows, thecapacity of each disk is limited so that it is not practical by means ofit to cut a furrow exceeding in depth about one-half of its diameter,nor in width exceeding about two-thirds its diameter. hen properlyapplied, each rotary disk moves and turns to one side and out of itspath, the earth cut from its own furrow, and in so doing turns over,thoroughly disintegratcs, loosens and renders the same in excellentcondition for a seed bed. These desirable results and the ease in draftof plows wherein rotary disks are used, make esonre them superior toother plows, for most pur poses. Every such plow may be so constructedthat the earth plowed by it shall be turned either to the right or tothe left and having regard to their action in this respect, plows areknown as right hand plows and left hand plows.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate an application of myinvention, Figure l is a plan view of a right-hand rotary disk plowwherein two rotary disks are employed; Fig. 2, a side elevational view;Fig. 3, a rear end View; and Fig. 4-, a diagrammatic view, showing ahorizontal projection of the rims or edges of the rotary disks, on avertical plane at right angles to the course of the plow.

Referring to the drawings, the plow frame, as illustrated, comprises aback-bone, or main beam 1, preferably made from a five inch steelI-beam; a front cross beam 2; and a rear cross beam 3. These crossbeamsare preferably made of l-beams, and are adjusta bly connected with theback-bone 1, by means of suitable plates with cleats and clamping means.These connecting and adjusting means by which the eross-beams and 3, areconnected with the main-beam 1, and adjusted laterally with resectthereto, may be made the subject of a separate application forLetters Fatent and are, therefore, not claimed as a part of the presentinvention.

41: designates the front furrow-wheel which is adapted to run, when theplow in operation, in the last preceding furrow. This wheel is mountedon av spindle of a vertieally extending axle 5. The upper portion of theaxle 5, extends through bearings 6, carried by the front cross-beam. Thespindle, or that portion of the axle on which the wheel 4t, is mounted,is carried in nearly a horizontal position, but depressed slightly as itextends from the vertical portion of the axle. This particularconstruction is employed so that the front furrow-wheel, having itsplane at right angles to its spindle, will be inclined, at its top,slightly away from the unplowed ground, when running in its path in thelast preceding furrow. Means are provided for raising and lowering theplow-frame with respect to the wheel 4. As shown, these means comprise arack 7, an operating lever 8, and a connecting rod, or bar, 9, thelatter having one end secured to the axle 5, and its other end securedto the lever S.

10 and 11 designate a rack and lever mechanism connectcd with the upperend of the axle 5, by which the position of and the course of travel ofthe front furrow-wheel may be changed and the turning of the plow may bethereby facilitated.

12 designates the rear furrow wheel, which is set to run in the furrow,immediately behind the rear disk of the plow. This wheel is mounted on aspindle on the end of the axle 13. Axle 13, is formed with a verticallyextending portion which is carried in suitable bearings secured to therear cross-beam. This axle has a portion 14:, at right angles to itsvertical portion, and is slightly dcpressed as it extends therefrom, sothat the wheel 12, like the front furrow-wheel, is set with its planeinclined at the top slightly away from the unplowed ground, when runningin its path behind the rear furrow wheel. The purpose of inclining thefurrow-wheels at their tops slightly away from the unplowed ground, asabove described, is

to adapt them to best resist the lateral strains.

resulting from the operation of the plow. The axle 13, is adaptedtoswivel in its vertical bearings, so that when the plow is turned, therear furrow-wheel will accommodate itself accordingly. Means areprovided for raising and lowering the plow frame with respect to thewheel 12, comprising a lever 15, a rack 16, and a connecting rod, orbar, 17, joining the lever and the axle 13.

The plow is provided with a land-wheel 19, which is set to run in avertical plane upon the unplowed ground, when the plow is in use. Theaxle 20, of this wheel is formed with a front portion 21, and a rearportion 22, both of which portions are at right angles with the mainportion of the axle. The front portion 21, is secured in a bearing andthe rear portion having a spindle upon which the land-wheel is mounted,is free to move up and down with respect to the secured end 21.

Opposite to the land-wheel, means are provided for raising and loweringthe plowframe, with respect to the axle of the land.- wheel. These meanscomprise a toothed segment 2%, a lever 25, and a connecting rod, or bar,26, connecting the lever with the axle of the land wheel.

The motive power for the plow may be attached to it in any suitablemanner. In the drawing T have shown a chain 27, which may be employedfor that purpose.

The characteristic and important feature of my invention consists in themanner. or relative positions, in which the rotary disks are set. Thesize and shape of the disks used may be similar, or they may be variedconsiderably, regard being had to the work required of themrespectively.

As illustrated 28, designates the front rotary disk which is dished alittle more than the rear disk 29, and is set with the plane of its facea little nearer to the vertical andv more nearly at right angles withthe line of the furrow, than the disk 29. Disk 28, is mounted so thatits lower edge will run nearly nine inches below the surface of theground. The rear disk is shown less dished than the front disk, and istilted back at its top slightly more and is set less nearly at rightangles with the line of the furrow than the preceding disk 28. Disk 29,is disposed about twenty-two inches behind the front disk, so as toprovide suflicient clearance between the disks, and is set with itslower edge to run, approximately, sixteen inches below the surface andabout seven inches lower than the disk 28. The manner of setting thedisks is such that the lead of the cutting edge of each disk is, asnearly as may be practicable, along the lines of the land side andbottom of its furrow, so that each furrow when plowed, is made up oftangents to the cutting edge of the disk by which it was made, and eachdisk is set in such a position that it acts as a mold-board for its ownfurrow and turns the earth plowed by it out of the path of the followingdisk.

The disks are carried upon journals mounted in bearings which arebracketed to and connected with the main beam of the plow frame in anysuitable manner, and these means include devices whereby the disks maybe adjusted in different positions with respect to the plow frame andwith respect to each other.

Vith the disks set as above described, by a single operation of theplow, a strip is plowed approximately sixteen inches in width andsixteen inches in depth. lVhen in operation, the front disk of the plowcuts a furrow to a depth of about nine inches measured from the surfaceof the ground, and moves the earth laterally therefrom and turns thesame over into the bottom of the last preceding furrow. The rear diskcuts its furrow about seven inches in depth below the furrow cut by thefront disk and turns the earth from the furrow plowed by it upon theearth plowed and turned by the front disk. Thus, by each operation ofthe plow there is produced a compound furrow comprising the twoindependent furrows by means of which the earth is plowed to a greatdepth, the surface with its trash, if any, is turned under and the lowerearth is elevated and turned on top. hen ground is plowed as described,it is disintegrated and loosened with the least movement of the materialthat is practicable, and, consequently, with the greatest economy in motive power.

Although I have shown and mentioned but two rotary disks in the drawingsand description of the plow represented thereby, my inventioncontemplates two disks, or any number of disks more than two, and allset in succession, in substantially the manner herein described, witheach successive disk placed sufficiently behind the next preceding oneso that each disk will have a clearance for its own furrow.

My improved rotary disk plow is to be distinguished from the type ofrotary disk plows having successive disks, with each after the first oneset behind and higher, or lower, than the preceding one and having eachdisk, except the one plowing the furrow of greatest depth, so offsetwith respect to the others, that it turns the earth from its furrow intothe path of the next succeeding disk, and that the disk plowing thefurrow of greatest depth acts as a mold board for the earth plowed by itand also for the earth cast into its path by a preceding disk and turnsall the earth moved by it as a single furrow.

Plows of my improved typediifcr in construction and operation from theplows of the kind last above mentioned, in that the disks in my improvedplows are not so offset that any disk casts the earth plowed by it intothe path of a succeeding disk, and in that each disk, in plows of myimproved type, acts as a mold-board for its own furrow and in thatduring a single operation of my plow it forms a compound furrow,composeo of the earth plowed and turned by its respective disks, inseparate single furrows, which are laid on each other, in the reverseorder in which the same were made. My improved plow also differs inoperation from the plows of the other type above mentioned, because whenplows of the latter type are used, the earth plowed from the upperfurrow or furrows, as the case may be, if two or more disks areemployed, is turned over and over again and carried laterally the widthof two or more furrows before the earth from the top furrow is finallydeposited as part of the plowed ground, which movement involves a largeexpenditure of motive power that is avoided by the use of plows of myimproved type, which, in operation, do not move the earth from the topfurrow, or furrows, so often, nor transfer the same so far, laterally.My plow further differs, in operation, from the others having theirdisks offset, as before mentioned, in that the latter do not turn theearth plowed by them as thoroughly upside down, nor turn trash under aswell, as is done, with less motive power, by means of plows constructedin accordance with my invention.

What I claim is,

1. A-rotary disk plow having a plurality of rotary disks mounted insuccession, with each disk, after the first or leading one, placedbehind, lower and more oblique with relation to the vertical than thepreceding disk, and having each disk set with the lead of its cuttingedge along the bottom and landside of its furrow.

2. A rotary disk "310w having a plurality of rotary disks mounted insuccession with each disk, after the first or leading one, set

ill-5 behind and lower than the preceding disk,

and with each disk, after the first or leading 011e, set with a lesstransverse inclination with respect to its furrow and at a greaterrearward inclination than the preceding disk.

3. A rotary disk plow having a plurality of rotary disks mounted insuccession with each disk, after the first or leading one, placedbehind, lower and more oblique with relation to the vertical than thepreceding disk.

at. A rotary disk plow having a front disk, a rear disk, said rear diskset lower and more oblique with relation to the vertical than the frontdisk.

A rotary" disk plow having a front disk tilted or inclined back slightlyat its top and deflected to the rear on the side from which it turns itsfurrow, a rear disk, said rear disk set with the plane of its face lessnearly vertical and less nearly transverse its furrow than the plane ofthe face of the front disk.

6. A rotary disk plow having a plurality of rotary disks mounted insuccession with each disk, after the first or leading one, set behindand lower than the next preceding disk, said first disk tilted orinclined back slightly at its top and deflected to the rear on the sidefrom which it turns its furrow, and with each successive disk, after thefirst, set less nearly vertical and less nearly trans verse its furrowthan the plane of the face of the next preceding disk.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES H. MGKEE.

Witnesses H. W. MITGHELL, A. H. Mcl AMnE.

